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SLEIGH- S'HAFLI'S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,162, dated July 10, 1883. Application filed February 16, 1883. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED P. THoMPsoN, of Frederictomin the county of York, Province of New Brunswick, and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleigh-Shafts; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a top view of my improved shifting sleigh-shaft when closed. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same when extended. Fig. 3 is an end View of the same, and Figs. 4 and 5 are top views of a modification of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to sleigh-shafts; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of a set of sleighshaits which may be shifted to one side when desired, allowing the horse to run in the track made by one of thehorses of a double team and keeping the sleigh in the track, as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

Upon roads where double teams are used it is usual to have the shafts of a sleigh for asingle horse placed somewhat to one side of the sleigh, enabling the horse to travel in the track made by one of the horses of a double team, and at the same time keep the sleigh running in the track made by the preceding twohorse sleigh; but by that construction of shafts the horse is always obliged to be somewhat to the side from the sleigh, which, if it after-- ward becomes necessary to drive the horse in the middle of the track, throws the sleigh out of the made track. To obviate this, and to enable the shafts to be adjusted either straight in front of the sleigh or to the side of it, I cutthe shafts in two parts at the place where the crossbar generally is, and connect the cut ends by two cross-bars; By reference to the accompanying drawings the manner will be plainly seen, the letters A A indicating the inner parts of the shafts, which are fastened to the sleigh; B, the cross-bar connecting them; 0 C, the outer parts, and D the cross-bar connecting them, upon which the single-tree E ispivoted. The ends of the outer parts of the shafts and the ends of the inner parts are beveled or tongued and grooved correspondingly, so as to connect them more perfectly when closed. Two sets of metal arms, F, are pivoted in pairs upon the upper and under sides of the cross-bar B at one end and of D at the other end, in such a manner that when the crossbars are brought close together the outer and inner portions of the shafts are in line, while as they are separated the outer portion of the shafts will be brought to one side. The inner ends of the arms F have two proj cot-ions, G and H, the facing edges of which have notches I and J which engage sliding latches K and L upon the cross-bars. These latches consist of two slotted plates, M, sliding upon pins N up- I on the front side of cross-bar D and rear side of cross-bar B, and are connected by a rod, 0. These plates M have each two cross-arms or lugs projecting above and below the side of the cross-bar, and engage the notches I and J.

Springs 1? are fastened upon the shafts at one end and bear with their free ends against the latches nearest to them, which operate the other latches through rods 0, so that they will snap into the notches I and J, the latches'L engaging notches I when the shafts are closed, while the latches K engage notches J when the shafts are extended. It will be seen that in this manner the shafts may be shifted in a moment of time, and that when shifting the shafts to the side they are moved forward sufficiently to obviate the necessity of lengthening the traces to bring the horse far enough from the sleigh, so that the runner shall not interfere with the action of the horse.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a modification is shown, in which the cross-bars slide upon each other and are tongued and grooved to keep them in true position to each other, while two set-screws, Q, projecting into two metallic stirrups or bails claspingthe two cross-bars, allow the shafts to be slid to one side when they are loosened and hold them firmly together when fastened.

Having thus described myinvention, I claim tions G and H; notches I and J and pivoted X and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the upon the crossbars, as and for the purpose United States shown and set forth.

The combination of the innerportions, A, of In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 5 the shafts, connected by cross-bar B, having my own I have hereunto affixed my signature I 5 sliding latches K K, connected by rod 0 and I in presence of two witnesses. operated by spring 1?, outer portions, 0, of the FRED PEMBERTON THOMPSON.

shafts, connected by crossbar D, having slid- \Vitnesses: ing latches L, connected by rod 0 and oper JOHN MooN, IO ated by spring I, and arms F,- having projecl W. WILSON. 

